Manufacturing news briefs — stories you might have missed

Optiscan Imaging advances veterinary medtech

Confocal microscopy manufacturer Optiscan Imaging has signed a Collaborative Research Agreement with the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. The agreement follows a MOU with the university, and is a step in expanding the clinical applications of Optiscan’s confocal endomicroscope imaging system in veterinary medicine. The initial focus of research will be on cancer research in companion animals. Optiscan CEO and Managing Director Dr Camile Farah said: “(This) marks another significant milestone in our efforts to demonstrate that the medical benefits derived from Optiscan’s technology platform extend beyond the treatment of humans.”

Trial of Memphasys’s Felix substantially complete

Reproductive technology company Memphasys‘s clinical trial of its Felix System for separating sperm to be utilised in IVF procedures has now reached 95 percent patient recruitment. The trial, conducted with Monash IVF Group across nine Australian sites, is expected to be completed by the end of calendar 2024. The trial aims to demonstrate Felix’s “superior sperm selection capabilities” over traditional methods according to an announcement, and will support regulatory submissions in key markets.

Sparc Technologies receives R&D boost

Technology development company Sparc Technologies has received a research and development (R&D) tax refund of $1.12 million from the Australian government for FY24. The funds will support the company’s work in Sparc Hydrogen, ecosparc field trials and graphene based additives for coatings and polymers. Sparc Managing Director Nick O’Loughlin said: “Such financial support is instrumental in propelling our research and development efforts towards commercialisation for technologies that improve performance, sustainability and environmental outcomes in multi-billion dollar industries”.

Hazer Group completes demonstration plant work

Hydrogen technology developer Hazer Group has completed the performance test programme for its Commercial Demonstration Plant (CDP) that brings them closer to commercial-scale deployment of its technology based on the use of waste biogas. The CDP has maintained 450+ hours of stable continuous operation, and boosted graphite inventory with the process by product now being distributed to strategic partners for testing. According to an announcement the data collected from the tests will help optimises design for scaling to large-scale projects, including FortisBC in Canada.

ClearVue signs China distribution deal

Building-integrated photovoltaics company company ClearVue Technologies has signed an OEM Manufacturing Agreement with Maxblue Industrial Glass Co., LTD. a manufacturer of advanced architectural glass solutions based in China. The five year agreement grants Maxblue non-exclusive OEM rights for the manufacture of ClearVue’s solar glazing products. Maxblue will produce ClearVue solar vision glass IGUs for ClearVue direct sales, for regions without available licensees, and provide support to global licensees by delivering for large-scale projects.

Curtin, MPS announce $3 million partnership on mineral extraction

Curtin University has announced a new $3 million research collaboration with Mining Process Solutions (MPS), a division of Czech mining chemical company Draslovka, to commercialise “a safer more sustainable mineral extraction technology in the resources sector.” According to a statement from the university, MPS will provide $2 million and Curtin’s Trailblazer $1 million, with the project to focus on advancing glycine leaching technology and led by Curtin Associate Professor Elsayed Oraby. “The non-toxic amino acid has the potential to replace hazardous chemicals like cyanide in mineral extraction processes,” said Oraby (p[ictured) in a statement on Tuesday. “The safer and more sustainable process is particularly suited for extracting valuable metals including  gold, copper, cobalt, and nickel from ore, making it a critical innovation in the evolving minerals sector.” Curtin postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates work alongside technical experts from Draslovka as part of the project team.

Vaxxas boss recognised by AmCham

David Hoey, the Chief Executive Officer and President of needle-free vaccination business Vaxxas, has been recognised with the 2024 AmCham Alliance Award for Excellence in Biotechnology. The award was given at an event attended by over 600 proponents of the partnership between Australia and the United States — including United States Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, AmCham Australia Chair Dr Larry Marshall and AmCham Australia CEO April Palmerlee — on Friday, Designed to provide an alternative to the 170-year-old needle and syringe for vaccination, Vaxxas’ HD-MAP technology uses a small patch with thousands of vaccine-coated microprojections to deliver vaccine to the abundant immune cells directly below the skin surface. Hoey said, “We are proud to be working closely with the US Government and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) as we aim to enable pandemic vaccines to be distributed more efficiently. As we know, the speed in which populations are vaccinated can have a profound positive impact on public health.”

QIC backs Virescent’s Fund II

Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) has been announced as a major investor in Virescent Ventures’ second climate technology fund (Fund II), joining cornerstone investors Westpac and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). According to a statement on Tuesday, confirmation of the investment comes “alongside new commitments from a number of high net worth investors, taking first close of Virescent’s new fund to approximately $125 million”, with Fund II seeking to deploy $200 million into climate tech companies. Virescent’s first portfolio, managed on behalf of the CEFC, saw over $270 million deployed across 37 Australian climate tech investments to date. “Partnering with Virescent represents an opportunity for QIC to work with an Australian-based climate manager to meaningfully advance the global transition to net zero,” said Lottie Bryon, Investment Director at QIC. Virescent said announcement on Fund II’s first investments is “expected soon.”

NHMRC invests $3 million to tackle global antimicrobial resistance

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) announced on Tuesday that it is “taking strides to address significant global health threats” through over $3 million into international collaborative research aiming to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) is an international collaborative organisation and platform, engaging 29 nations and the European Commission to curb antimicrobial resistance. Among the recipients of NHMRC-JPIAMR funding announced during “World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week” are: RMIT University Associate Professor Aaron Elbourne, leveraging nanotechnology to pioneer advanced antimicrobial therapies to combat the threat of AMR fungal infections; Macquarie University’s Associate Professor Amy Cain, whose project will delve into the potential ability of metal containing compounds to kill deadly fungi; and University of Melbourne’s Dr Gerry Tonkin-Hill, who is developing new genomic tools to improve understanding of how candida fungus spreads between people and the environment.

AusBiotech, MTPConnect hold national summit

Life sciences industry body AusBiotech and industry accelerator MTP Connect held the National Biotech and Medtech Development and Commercialisation Summit 2024 in Canberra on Tuesday. According to a statement from the pair, it brings together “more than 100 of Australia’s leading industry figures, policy experts, and innovators to shape the future of the nation’s biotech and medtech sectors with a unified voice.” AusBiotech CEO, Rebekah Cassidy, said “The factors influencing life sciences investment and growth are changing rapidly, which is why it’s crucial that AusBiotech leverage its national convening power to elevate the sector’s voice and lead evidenced-based policy discussions. Now is the time for a unified strategy and roadmap focused on enhancing industry’s development and commercialisation capabilities to bring more life changing medical innovations to market.”

Fraunhofer purchases quantum developer kit

Australian-German company Quantum Brilliance (QB), a maker of diamond-based quantum computing technology, announced the first purchase of a room temperature quantum accelerator in the European market by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF (Fraunhofer IAF) this week. The purchase followed the company’s participation in a public tender, it explained in a statement, adding that its quantum accelerators “differ from other quantum mainframe computers by leveraging synthetic diamonds to run at room temperature in any environment without the need for large, expensive and energy-intensive refrigeration units to keep qubits stable.” Fraunhofer IAF is described as one of the world’s leading research institutes for synthetic diamonds and their potential use in quantum computing applications, and a collaborator with Quantum Brilliance on multiple projects. Quantum Brilliance was founded in Australia in 2019 and grown out of research conducted at the Australian National University.

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